Connoisseur Designs – Small Business Rebrand
In January of 2023, I partnered with a small design and consulting business in South Africa called Connoisseur Designs through the non-profit UHAMBO 8286. Working with marketing students from the University of Cincinnati’s Lindner College of Business, I revamped the business branding by creating a new logo and collateral materials.
While the business had a logo, updating it was an appropriate first step to better visually communicate the services provided, as well as make it more legibile and distinct at a glance.
Original Logo
When I joined the team, I was provided with a design brief detailing the small business owner‘s initial thoughts about the direction she wanted her brand to go and ideas for what deliverables might look like at the end of the project.
Design Brief
After examining the design brief, I developed mood boards for the entrepreneur to show the different directions the brand could take. After reviewing them, she chose the board entitled “24 Karat“, as she wanted her brand to be perceived as elegant and high class.
Mood Boards
Once my team and I had honed in on a direction for the branding under the entrepreneur’s guidance, I began sketching ideas of what the new logo could look like. I focused heavily on how I could convey the elegance of the brand while retaining legibility. The business owner also considered changing the name of the business at this time, but ultimately decided to stick with ”Connoisseur Designs“
Logo Sketching
I gave the entrepreneur three branding options, each with a unique logo, font, and pattern idea while retaining the same color palette for all three. After reviewing them, she chose the ”Logo 2” option.
Branding Options
Once I knew the chosen logo, I began applying it to flyers, business cards, and a pop-up banner to promote the business. The brand guidelines that I developed were also taken and applied to her business’ social media pages and website.